Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department has issued on how the new regulations on hedge cutting apply to commercial hedgelaying.
Answered by Mark Spencer
Subject to Parliamentary approval, the hedge-cutting rules in the Management of Hedgerows (England) Regulations 2024 will apply to commercial hedge-laying only where it takes place on agricultural land. The Rural Payments Agency as regulator will provide advice and guidance to all those who will need to comply with these new regulations. Full guidance will also be published on gov.uk.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Third Report of the Work and Pensions Committee of 2023-24 on Defined benefit pension schemes, HC 144, published on 26 March 2024 and the Fifty-Seventh Report of the Committee of Public Accounts of 2022-23 on AEA Technology Pension Case, HC 1005, published on 14 June 2023, if he will publish a redress scheme for AEA Technology pension scheme members by 23 July 2024.
Answered by Paul Maynard
This is a complex issue, which spans the responsibility of several departments. My officials are in discussion with their counterparts at the Cabinet Office.
As part of the government’s response to the Third Report of the Work and Pensions Committee of 2023-24 on Defined Benefit pension schemes (HC144) we will carefully consider this issue, involving other relevant departments as appropriate and respond in due course.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Government's proposed phase out dates for new non zero emission mopeds and motorcycles on the level of (a) attractiveness for investment of the UK's L-category market and (b) consumer choice within that market.
Answered by Anthony Browne
The consultation on when to end the sale of new non-zero emission L-category vehicles (including mopeds and motorcycles) was open to responses from 14 July to 21 September 2022 and supported by a thorough programme of stakeholder engagement. The Department is now in the process of analysing the responses and will bring forward the Government’s response in due course.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of granting a longer transition period for (a) manufacturers and (b) consumers to adapt to the phase out of new non zero emission L-category vehicles.
Answered by Anthony Browne
The consultation on when to end the sale of new non-zero emission L-category vehicles (including mopeds and motorcycles) was open to responses from 14 July to 21 September 2022 and supported by a thorough programme of stakeholder engagement. The Department is now in the process of analysing the responses and will bring forward the Government’s response in due course.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with his officials on the potential merits of introducing bespoke phase out dates for powered light vehicles following the extension of phase out for vans and cars announced on 20 September 2023.
Answered by Anthony Browne
The consultation on when to end the sale of new non-zero emission L-category vehicles (including mopeds and motorcycles) was open to responses from 14 July to 21 September 2022 and supported by a thorough programme of stakeholder engagement. The Department is now in the process of analysing the responses and will bring forward the Government’s response in due course.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of proposals relating to reform of the licensing process for L-Category vehicles published by the Motorcycle Industry Association in its document entitled A Licence to Net Zero on (a) the cost of L-Category licensing for (i) the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and (ii) riders and (b) DVSA L-Category test capacity.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Government is open to discussing ideas for reform of the existing licensing regime for powered light vehicles known as L category vehicles where they do not compromise safety standards. The Government intends to engage with the Motorcycle Industry Association in the coming weeks to discuss and consider how they align with existing work and planning linked to licencing reform.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of proposals relating to reform of Compulsory Basic Training published by the Motorcycle Industry Association in its document entitled A Licence to Net Zero on (a) road safety, (b) quality of rider training and (c) the skill levels of riders.
Answered by Guy Opperman
The Minister for Roads and Local Transport intends to engage with the Motorcycle Industry Association on its proposals, in the near future, to consider how they align with existing work and plans on Compulsory Basic Training and licence reform.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the minute of meeting held on 1 February 2023 by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), for what reason a budget has not been allocated for a national respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation programme for the prevention of RSV related lower respiratory tract infections in infants for 2023-24.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are actively considering the potential for an expanded or universal respiratory syncytial virus programme. Once the JCVI have concluded their robust review of evidence, the Department will support the implementation of any advice with NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency as soon as is practicable, including, if necessary, engaging with HM Treasury to seek budgetary support for a potential programme.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommendation to work towards replacing palivizumab with nirsevimab in 2022, what steps his Department plans to take to work with the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England to agree an innovative procurement route to enable an expanded immunisation programme for the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-related lower respiratory tract infections for the 2023-24 winter season.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has advised that the current respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) monoclonal antibody, palivizumab, should be replaced by nirsevimab for the existing, targeted cohort. The Department, the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England are engaging with the manufacturer to support this change in time for the 2023/24 winter season.
The JCVI is actively reviewing evidence about a potential expanded RSV programme. Once the JCVI have concluded their review of evidence and any advice is made, the Department will support the implementation of any changes advised by the JCVI as soon as is practicable, including working closely with NHS England and UKHSA.
Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to work with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunisation manufacturers to support the implementation of a universal immunisation programme for the prevention of RSV-related lower respiratory tract infections in infants, to reduce winter pressures on the NHS.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) provides the Government with advice on all immunisation programmes, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The JCVI is actively reviewing evidence around available products and the potential for an expanded or universal RSV programme. Once the JCVI have concluded their review of evidence and any advice is made, the Department will work with manufacturers, alongside the UK Heath Security Agency and NHS England, to support the implementation of advice as soon as is practicable.